When a patient is diagnosed with a severe or long-term illness, it can take a toll on the mental health of the patient and their family. Even though there are several ,hospices near you, choosing the ideal option for you and your family becomes challenging.
Understanding the patient and their family’s needs is essential before finalizing hospice care, especially when dealing with a critical illness. Hospices are one of the best and most affordable options for dealing with acute diseases and getting professional care for the patient in a comfortable setting.
Knowing which illnesses are crucial enough for hospice care is necessary so families can opt for the most convenient solutions. With that, let us go through the most common diseases in patients that need hospice care.
List of 10 Common Diseases That Need Hospice Care
Here is a list of 10 common diseases eligible for hospice care. We have also included the standard criteria concerning these illnesses for your better understanding.
1. Cancer
Cancer is one of the most painful diseases that affect millions of people every year. Despite being a deadly disease, it does not have a specific age span to occur in humans. From children to young adults to old age humans, it is seen in every generation causing life-altering effects on the patient.
According to statistics and reports, cancer is the cause of death in every 1 out of 5 people facing illnesses. However, not every type of cancer is fatal to the patient, especially if detected at the early stage. Hospices are commonly preferred for treating and taking care of cancer patients as they become weaker as time passes by
While the cancerous cells proliferate in the patient, if diagnosed at the correct time, the patient’s life can be saved with the right amount of attention, treatment, and care. Using the latest technologies for cancer treatments is bound to show excellent results.
Nevertheless, in some cases, the damage it has done to the patient is beyond recovery. In such situations, the family must ensure the patient lives a comfortable life for the rest of the time.
Hospice Criteria for Cancer
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- The deteriorating condition of the patient despite the treatment
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- Metastatic cancer
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- Karnofsky’s score is 70% or declining
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- Deciding to continue with directed curative treatment for the disease
2. AIDS
AIDS, or Human Immunodeficiency virus, directly affects the immune system of the patient’s body, causing it to attack itself. Once infected with HIV, they can slowly acquire immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, and is in the final stage.
While constant research is performed in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, there is still no definitive cure for HIV-affected patients. Nevertheless, unlike other diseases, AIDS does not have a separate eligibility list to qualify for hospice.
However, standard protocols must be followed when patients apply for hospice care regarding AIDS.
Hospice Criteria for AIDS
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- The patient must be diagnosed with AIDS or HIV
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- Chronic or recurring diarrhea
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- Sudden and continuous weight loss of 10% IN 2-3 months
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- Extreme fatigue and substance abuse
3. Cardiopulmonary Disease
Cardiopulmonary diseases are generally related to cardiac arrest. It is a prevalent condition affecting about 5 million people in the United States annually. Patients suffering from acute congestive heart failure and terminal heart diseases need regular doctor visits, treatments, and therapies.
Most families with Cardiopulmonary disease patients are unaware of the hospice qualifications and criteria. Even though heart failure or other related disorders have severe repercussions, some patients might recover from such conditions.
Hospice Criteria for Cardiopulmonary Disease
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- Diagnosis of structural or functional impairments
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- Frequent chest pain
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- Weak response to diuretics and vasodilators
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- Dyspnea
4. Liver Disease
The liver is a crucial organ in our body’s digestive system. If there is structural or functional damage to the liver, the person can suffer from severe health issues. The liver mainly helps the digestion, and purification of blood and produces proteins and enzymes which help clot blood.
Once the liver is affected by a virus, autoimmune disease, or other chemicals, it can develop internal scars on the tissue. After a certain point, the damaged tissue can no longer heal, resulting in complications like cirrhosis.
Generally, when the patient’s condition reaches a point where liver failure is bound to happen, hospice care is needed to take care of the treatment and the patient’s health.
Hospice Criteria for Liver Disease
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- Extreme weakness resulting in difficulty performing daily activities
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- Malnutrition
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- Peritonitis
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- Hepatic encephalopathy
5. Dementia
Over 5 million US citizens currently struggle with Alzheimer’s or similar dementia. It is highly challenging for families to provide unpaid support to their loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s.
In several situations, family members must sacrifice living a fulfilling life because of Dementia patients. People who are diagnosed with acute Alzheimer’s cannot live on their own. They often struggle with their memory and even personal identity sometimes.
It is crucial to get help from a ,hospice in las vegas to ensure the well-being of the patient and other family members.
Hospice Criteria for Dementia
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- Diagnosis of other severe health conditions like heart disease or cancer
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- Diagnosis of pneumonia or sepsis
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- Facing difficulty in eating and drinking, which results in weight loss and dehydration
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- Loss of bladder and bowel control
6. Renal Disease
Renal disease is the final stage of kidney disease. Renal disease patients have damaged kidneys that cannot function without dialysis or might need a kidney transplant to survive.
In most cases, a hospice care company takes over once the patient and their family decide to end dialysis in a renal disease patient. Hospice care ensures the person lives a comfortable life and provides continued treatment to prevent kidney failure.
Hospice Criteria in Renal Disease
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- Frequent nausea and vomiting
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- Uremia followed by the loss of consciousness
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- The patient has opted to discontinue renal dialysis
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- Hyperkalemia
7. Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failures are generally the result of the inability of your cardiac muscles to pump the blood and fluids in the body. When it comes to the heart’s health, it becomes crucial to seek professional medical help.
Most heart patients who experience significant heart failure depend on various treatments and doctor visits to ensure their fitness. People with congestive heart failure must check their options to get help from a hospice care company.
Hospice Criteria for Congestive Heart Failure
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- Impaired sleep cycle
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- Pain in chest
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- Physical endurance becomes low
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- Weight loss
8. Cerebral Vascular Accident
A cerebral vascular accident, also known as stroke, is a common reason for disabilities in adult US residents. Restriction of blood to enter a particular brain area results in a stroke. When the required amount of blood does reach the part of the brain, the person can experience a stroke.
The patient’s condition worsens when the cell of that particular area starts dying due to the lack of oxygen for a prolonged period. This degeneration of cells results in disabilities like loss of memory and muscle control.
Most patients who suffer from a stroke require external help for performing daily activities and need professional help regularly. In addition, patients struggling with a stroke also require medication and therapies. Hence hospice care is necessary for people to recover after a CVA or brain stroke.
Hospice Criteria for Cerebral Vascular Accident
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- The palliative performance score is less than 40%
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- Functional abilities are impaired
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- Maintaining sufficient fluid and calories becomes challenging
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- Bedridden
9. Neurological Disorders
Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, Hintintong’s ideas, MS, ALS, etc., affect thousands of Americans yearly. While every neurological disorder has challenges, patients often struggle to live an everyday and comfortable life with such conditions.
Hence most of the patients affected with neurological disorders that have reached the end stage qualify for hospice care.
Hospice Criteria for Neurological Disorders
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- Impaired sensation and pain
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- Restricted mobility
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- Weak communication
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- Locomotory functions are impaired
10. Respiratory Diseases
Respiratory diseases have been on the rise since 2014 in America. The frequency of these diseases has increased from 9.3% to 11%, resulting in chronic respiratory illnesses in the patient.
Respiratory disease affects patients’ different parts of the respiratory tract, including the lungs. These diseases directly affect a person’s quality of life and respiration abilities. Therefore a hospice care company must provide the right kind of care and support to their patient and family.
Hospice Criteria for Respiratory Diseases
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- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder
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- Lung cancer
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- Chronic pulmonary fibroids
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- Impaired breathing resulting in lack of oxygen
Wrapping Up!
While these are the most common disease for which the patients and their families approach ,hospices in las vegas. However, understanding the conditions for applying for hospice care is not enough.
You must understand the signs and symptoms of patients to ensure they get the proper care and treatment. Most hospice companies thoroughly research the patient’s reports to determine whether they need the hospice services provided by the professionals.
We hope this article was helpful to you in understanding the eligibility criteria of psyche companies. To know more about how hospice care can create a comfortable living situation for the patient, contact ,red rock hospice today.
